www.kalliesternburgh.comkalliesternburgh@gmail.com+001-517-420-1155

No design can exist in isolation. It is always related, sometimes in very

complex ways, to an entire constellation of influencing situations and

attitudes. What we call a good design is one which achieves integrity

– that is, unity or wholeness – in balanced relation to its environment.

The reason good design is hard to come by is that its creation

demands a high degree of emotional and intellectual maturity in the

designer, and such people are not found too often.

-George Nelson

“

“

INDEX OF CONTENTS

>> For Mennesker Pavilion

>> XYZ Kunster Residencies

>> Folkets Kultur Huset

>> House of Interference

>> UrbanSHED Scaffolding

>> Typewriter Museum

>> Paralelf™ Shelving Unit

>> FractiMod™ Educational Toy

>> Sponge-Angle Floor Mop

>> Carbon Fiber Tripod Chair

>> Likki Bag

02

04

06

08

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

>> Identify Baltimore Thesis

>> YUL-MTL Competition

>> MICA Shelter Project | Research

>> MICA Shelter Project | Design

>> MICA Shelter Project | Build

>> Penn Daw

>> Metro West Vienna

>> MICA Commons II

>> Innovation Units

>> Select Drawings + Paintings

24

26

30

32

34

36

38

40

42

44

“For Mennesker,” is a pavilion designed “for the people” of

Copenhagen, with a public agenda rooted in civic service. The

collection of these units function together as a whole for the

annual Architecture and Design Days and the CODE Fair in

the summer, serving as an international display space for

FOR MENNESKER PAVILIONDanish design. As the pavilion functions as one cohesive

space during the summer, the design also breaks down

into sub-pavilions that separate during the off-seasons and

service local programs and alternative urban destinations.

Each sub-pavilion out of four is designed with a specific

function and social service for different parts of the city.

Each self-equipped with its own powersource (Solyndra

tubes) and deconstructable parts, the pavilion showcases as

a sustainable model because of it’s efficiency of materials

and it’s re-use towards alternative afterlife programs.

02 For Mennesker Pavilion « Architecture

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Site Section. Pavilion entrance facing South-west. Color coordinated civic bench design assigned to advertize urban off-season programs

The Lifecycle of the pavilion

The XYZ Kunster Residencies is a housing project for

the artists in residence in Christianshavn, Denmark.

Located near campus of the Royal Danish Academy of

Art and Architecture, the site is an ideal location for

creative minds to be living and working. This system

of rowhomes is designed for artists and designers to

showcase their work, and is intended to be flexible,

XYZ KUNSTER RESIDENCIESintegral, and adaptable to the various social groupings

and diverse living habits of different people. Three

different dwelling floorplans are designed: each

variation enabling an ideal combination between work

and live integration, and public versus private space.

The front of each rowhome functions as an individual

space for the exhibiting artist, and in turn gives the

dweller the freedom to express their individuality

by customizing their “front door” of their home with

materials, color, or art. The typical monotony of the

same repeated unit is now solved by allowing visual

variety, and the tenants personal license to customize

their spaces. The residency offers ultimate flexibility:

for working and living and for lifestyle changes.

04 XYZ Kunster Residencies « Architecture

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XYZ KUNSTNER RESIDENCIES KALLIE STERNBURGH

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EXTERIOR FACING NORTH-EAST & PUBLIC FACING FACADES Backyard space is designed to entice pedestrians on Arsenalvej street. Acting as a publicly accessible space, the yard also available to the artists for open exhibition space during optimal weather.

OPEN FOR THE PUBLIC, EXHIBITION, & STUDIO SPACE Backyard studio space is open for the public and gives the artist the ability to reveal their creative process

FRONT ENTRANCE, GARDENS, AND SOUTHERN FACING LIVE SPACE Users can enjoy the southern daylight on the more private side of the rowhome. The front and primary entrance into the live sub-unit space is

also quieter and near the canal.SITE PLAN The rowhomes are designed on the site with optimal northern and southern light conditions considered.

INDIVIDUALITY IN LIFESTYLES

HOUSING DESIGNED FOR ARTISTSDesigning for a creative client is especially difficult when being confined by the rigidity of a row-home dwelling. Usually where the constraints of extreme density and uniform materials usually limit the user’s freedom of individuality and expression, the system of a row-home typology should not inhibit the freedome of its users. This system of rowhomes is designed specifically for artist, and it shall be flexible, integral, and adaptable to the various social groupings throughout the buildings’ lifespan. In additional to social heterogeneity, visual contrast was also considered an important objective to enrich the experience of the site, creating a diversity that breaks free from the monotony of a traditional row-home, and creating an individual environment that is unique to Christianshavn.

PROBLEM

HOW CAN INDIVIDUALITY BE ACHIEVED DESPITE A HOMOGENOUS ROWHOME TYPOLOGY?

XFIXED PARTITION WALLS

YCONJOINED UNIT VARIETES +VARIETY SETBACKS + SITE PLACEMENT

SEMI INTEGRATION

FULL INTEGRATION

LOW INTEGRATIONwork

work

work

live

live

live

ZVARIETY WINDOW, BALCONY, & SKYLIGHT APERTURES

3 m1 m 5 m

scale 1:100 cmy1 unit low integration

section A-A front elevation / NE facing

bedroom 1

bedroom 2

dining/kitchen

living room weatherlock

bathroom

front studio space/retailsecondary living room

ground floor plan

 studio exhibition spacesecondary living room

second floor plan

laundry

3 m1 m 5 m

scale 1:100 cmy2 unit semi integration

bedroom 1

bedroom 2

dining/kitchen

living room weatherlock

bathroom

ground floor plan

second floor plan

section A-A

laundry

front studio spacesecondary living room

 studio exhibition spacefront terrace

back elevation / NE facing

3 m1 m 5 m

scale 1:100 cmy3 unit full integration

bedroom 1

bedroom 2

dining/kitchen

living room

front studio spacesecondary living room

weatherlock

bathroom

laundry

studio exhibition spacesecondary living room

ground floor plan

second floor plan

section A-A back elevation / NE facing

FLEXIBILITY FOR THE POTENTIAL USERS-THE HOLISTIC WORK/LIVE ARTIST -The holistic artist/ultimate work-live environment-THE 3+ FAMILY MEMBER DWELLING -loft studio space can transform into additional bedrooms with adequate lighting -plumbing equipped in loft studio space can also be transformed into additional bedrooms-INTERIOR PERSONALIZATION -Prefab dimensions between two sub-units allow for ultimate flexibility and personalization for the users -Light wall between the live and work space, allows a fluid, open space for acoustics, light, and circulation -If alternative material is desired, users have the free ability to customize-UNIT SUBDIVISION -Two sub-unit spaces may be divided entirely, each sub-unit is equipped with an entrance door and proficient lighting conditions because of its uniform north/south axis

FLEXIBILITY FOR THE POTENTIAL USERS- THE SEMI INTEGRAL WORK/LIVE ARTIST -Setback of the work unit from the street makes it a much more private environment for the worker, optimal for the artist who is characteristically messy or prefers little disturbance from the public street -Connection aperture to the living room and the studio space allows for a fluid transition, yet allows for the optional sliding door to close off the work space from the live space- THE COLLEGE STUDENT -The family with a college student who moves back home into the house -Allows environmental freedom for the 20+ year old-THE PARENTS/IN-LAWS MOVE-IN -Allows for flexibility for extended family care and proximity, while still allowing privacy between members -The units are each equipped with their own entrance door, plumbing, and access to adequate light

FLEXIBILITY FOR THE POTENTIAL USERS- THE LOW INTEGRAL WORK/LIVE ARTIST -The units are compositionally arranged with the work sub-unit closest to the main public street (north-east facing ) -Designed for the workers that enjoy a more public display of their work and process; the exhibitionist -Designed for the worker who also prefers a separation between working and living- THE LANDLORD/TENANT RELATIONSHIP -Sub-units can be subdivided into separate units completely, divided by the weather-lock located in the core of the entire rowhome -Each sub-unit is equipped with its own entrance access, plumbing and daylight- THE RETAIL SPACE -This specific work/live relationship is set close to the public street and is separated from the private live space

front, semi-private communal space

residential units back, public communal space

street treeline Arsenalvej street futbol �eldsprivate/front pedestrian path

windblock treelinealong canal

canal

LATERAL WIND

SITE SECTION Showing thresholds, windbarriers, and relationship between public and private accessibility

INDIVIDUALITY IN MATERIALS

PERSONALIZATION Can be achieved in the choice of roof tiling material, variations on sliding shade screens, plants and vegetation, and personal art and sculptures

XYZ KUNSTNER RESIDENCIES KALLIE STERNBURGH

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EXTERIOR FACING NORTH-EAST & PUBLIC FACING FACADES Backyard space is designed to entice pedestrians on Arsenalvej street. Acting as a publicly accessible space, the yard also available to the artists for open exhibition space during optimal weather.

OPEN FOR THE PUBLIC, EXHIBITION, & STUDIO SPACE Backyard studio space is open for the public and gives the artist the ability to reveal their creative process

FRONT ENTRANCE, GARDENS, AND SOUTHERN FACING LIVE SPACE Users can enjoy the southern daylight on the more private side of the rowhome. The front and primary entrance into the live sub-unit space is

also quieter and near the canal.SITE PLAN The rowhomes are designed on the site with optimal northern and southern light conditions considered.

INDIVIDUALITY IN LIFESTYLES

HOUSING DESIGNED FOR ARTISTSDesigning for a creative client is especially difficult when being confined by the rigidity of a row-home dwelling. Usually where the constraints of extreme density and uniform materials usually limit the user’s freedom of individuality and expression, the system of a row-home typology should not inhibit the freedome of its users. This system of rowhomes is designed specifically for artist, and it shall be flexible, integral, and adaptable to the various social groupings throughout the buildings’ lifespan. In additional to social heterogeneity, visual contrast was also considered an important objective to enrich the experience of the site, creating a diversity that breaks free from the monotony of a traditional row-home, and creating an individual environment that is unique to Christianshavn.

PROBLEM

HOW CAN INDIVIDUALITY BE ACHIEVED DESPITE A HOMOGENOUS ROWHOME TYPOLOGY?

XFIXED PARTITION WALLS

YCONJOINED UNIT VARIETES +VARIETY SETBACKS + SITE PLACEMENT

SEMI INTEGRATION

FULL INTEGRATION

LOW INTEGRATIONwork

work

work

live

live

live

ZVARIETY WINDOW, BALCONY, & SKYLIGHT APERTURES

3 m1 m 5 m

scale 1:100 cmy1 unit low integration

section A-A front elevation / NE facing

bedroom 1

bedroom 2

dining/kitchen

living room weatherlock

bathroom

front studio space/retailsecondary living room

ground floor plan

 studio exhibition spacesecondary living room

second floor plan

laundry

3 m1 m 5 m

scale 1:100 cmy2 unit semi integration

bedroom 1

bedroom 2

dining/kitchen

living room weatherlock

bathroom

ground floor plan

second floor plan

section A-A

laundry

front studio spacesecondary living room

 studio exhibition spacefront terrace

back elevation / NE facing

3 m1 m 5 m

scale 1:100 cmy3 unit full integration

bedroom 1

bedroom 2

dining/kitchen

living room

front studio spacesecondary living room

weatherlock

bathroom

laundry

studio exhibition spacesecondary living room

ground floor plan

second floor plan

section A-A back elevation / NE facing

FLEXIBILITY FOR THE POTENTIAL USERS-THE HOLISTIC WORK/LIVE ARTIST -The holistic artist/ultimate work-live environment-THE 3+ FAMILY MEMBER DWELLING -loft studio space can transform into additional bedrooms with adequate lighting -plumbing equipped in loft studio space can also be transformed into additional bedrooms-INTERIOR PERSONALIZATION -Prefab dimensions between two sub-units allow for ultimate flexibility and personalization for the users -Light wall between the live and work space, allows a fluid, open space for acoustics, light, and circulation -If alternative material is desired, users have the free ability to customize-UNIT SUBDIVISION -Two sub-unit spaces may be divided entirely, each sub-unit is equipped with an entrance door and proficient lighting conditions because of its uniform north/south axis

FLEXIBILITY FOR THE POTENTIAL USERS- THE SEMI INTEGRAL WORK/LIVE ARTIST -Setback of the work unit from the street makes it a much more private environment for the worker, optimal for the artist who is characteristically messy or prefers little disturbance from the public street -Connection aperture to the living room and the studio space allows for a fluid transition, yet allows for the optional sliding door to close off the work space from the live space- THE COLLEGE STUDENT -The family with a college student who moves back home into the house -Allows environmental freedom for the 20+ year old-THE PARENTS/IN-LAWS MOVE-IN -Allows for flexibility for extended family care and proximity, while still allowing privacy between members -The units are each equipped with their own entrance door, plumbing, and access to adequate light

FLEXIBILITY FOR THE POTENTIAL USERS- THE LOW INTEGRAL WORK/LIVE ARTIST -The units are compositionally arranged with the work sub-unit closest to the main public street (north-east facing ) -Designed for the workers that enjoy a more public display of their work and process; the exhibitionist -Designed for the worker who also prefers a separation between working and living- THE LANDLORD/TENANT RELATIONSHIP -Sub-units can be subdivided into separate units completely, divided by the weather-lock located in the core of the entire rowhome -Each sub-unit is equipped with its own entrance access, plumbing and daylight- THE RETAIL SPACE -This specific work/live relationship is set close to the public street and is separated from the private live space

front, semi-private communal space

residential units back, public communal space

street treeline Arsenalvej street futbol �eldsprivate/front pedestrian path

windblock treelinealong canal

canal

LATERAL WIND

SITE SECTION Showing thresholds, windbarriers, and relationship between public and private accessibility

INDIVIDUALITY IN MATERIALS

PERSONALIZATION Can be achieved in the choice of roof tiling material, variations on sliding shade screens, plants and vegetation, and personal art and sculptures

The ultimate designers of space are the people who engage

in it: Space, people, and culture and symbiotically related. It is

the participation of the every day person who truely activates

culture, and in this theory, space is generated to serve as an

open scaffold for the people and for their fluxuating needs.

Thus, Folkets Kultur Husen is a collection of spaces that serve

Primary Path

PEOPLE

SPACECULTURE

Mobius Connectivity of People, Culture, & Social Spaces

Site Map Primary Path Secondary Spaces

Programmed Spaces

Folkets Kultur HusenPeople: The True Generators of Culture

the current and changing processes of the people of Denmark.

A primary path weaves itself throughout the culture house as

an extension of the urban street. And then people experience

exhibitions and secondary programmed spaces as they would

engage at a pace of street storefronts.The culture house is

polycentric, not monocentric; the thresholds between public

and private activities are intertwined and blurred in between.

The intent is for people to “derive” or to naturally wander

and get lost in the space as they discover new moments.

The occurance of the every day becomes significant, while

giving citizens the opportunity to participate in the exhaulted

‘‘showcase’’ of what true culture is.

Front Elevation

06 Folkets Kultur Husen « Architecture

x

Front Elevation

HOUSE OF INTERFERENCEThe Interference Music House is a gallery space designed

for the exhibition of sound, music generators, and art.

Located in the historic Potato Row district of Copenhagen,

the design of the gallery, inspired by Danish composer,

Per Nørgård, is in respect towards his theory of music

phenomenon and interference. His method of composing

music celebrates the act of the listener and in identifying

alternate patterns within combined rythms. He explains

his use of the concept as follows: “For me, something

between’ or ‘intermediary’ interference, means, amongst

other things, that what is most important is not manifested

physically. As is well-known, ‘subjective’, non-electrically

produced tones come about when two oscillators

each produce their own wave.” Space: experientially,

sequentially, and materialistically, all conjoin, align,

and misalign into a balanced harmony. Alignments and

misalignments can also occur with light, with form, with

people, and in urban contexts. The objective of the space

is to frame and take notice of the nuances of interference,

to accentuate the everyday occurrences that overlap into

interwoven harmonies. The space intends to celebrate this

eclecticism and communicate how collective events can

make up a whole, and also serve as a centerpiece for the

arts and music in this residential district.

08 House of Interference « Architecture

x

Composition Analysis on Per Nørgaard’s “Per Salo”

URBAN SHED SCAFFOLDING

Urban Shed International Design Competition challenges

designers to conceptualize a cutting-edge sidewalk shed to

protect pedestrians, improve the pedestrian experience, and

make New York City even more attractive for generations

to come. More than 6,000 sidewalk sheds flank New York

City’s buildings and construction sites. They span more

than 1,000,000 linear feet and typically remain in place

for nearly a year. While these sheds protect pedestrians

from construction debris and support other construction

structures, they undermine the beauty of the architecture

that hides behind. The design of this scaffolding integrates

flexibility, tensile capacities, structural integrity, and light.

Made out of steel tubes, couplers, and polypropylene

sheets, the scaffolding constructs together and tessellates

into a supportive structure and beautiful aesthetic design.

As the design can be easily assembled at different fixations

throughout the city, the scaffolding expands and contracts

as it is needed.

10 Urban Shed Scaffolding « Architecture

Module kit of parts Expandable and collapsable model studies

Broadway street elevation

x

TYPEWRITER MUSEUM

The Typewriter Museum is a building showcase that

commemorates the legacies of old and forgotten

technologies. The typewriter, what was once the

single technological advancement that perpetuated

telecommunications to a new level, today is abandoned

to its contemporaries: the telephone, the computer, and

the Internet. This museum is a space located in the heart

of Baltimore city that brings attention to the invention

the typewriter and the legacies of the of the “QWERTY”

keyboard. The design of the module is made in such a

manner to encapsulate the materials of lost technology.

Because the display of history and the past in a museum

usually becomes a flattened gallery experience, the design

of the museum facade intends to bring both old and new

techologies into a hybrid wall facade. The module is

designed in a manner to perform both as masonry unit

as well as function with cavities to make use of recycled

E-waste material for insulation. The wall of the museum

thus also becomes a public discussion about future

technologies and about the commodity of modern electronic

waste and its future uses.

12 Typewriter Museum « Architecture

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project was to transform one standard 4 x 8 foot plywood

sheet into two identical module units that could stack and

configure into various furniture arrangements. The design,

made out of a standard dimension of wood also influenced

the choices in form and cuts in the material. Graphic

The Paralelf™ shelving unit design is a collaborative

project (with Kailie Parrish) that takes the precedent of

IKEA’s flatpack furniture and innovates the idea of a unit

that can built upon itself, customized, and built at home.

Using the concept of the module, the objective of the

instrustructions were provided to allow users to easily

assemble themselves, with minimum supplied fasteners

and unnecessary tools. Both modules of furniture have

multiple assemblies that can adapt to the aestetic and

choice of the individual user.

14 Paralelf Shelving Unit « Design

™

Instructional handbook design for DIY self-assembly

x

geometry, fraction addition, fraction subtraction,

building methods, and teamwork. Parents can be

rest assured that the product will last and can grow

with their children for years to come. FractiMod™

also functions as an integrated piece of interior

design, having the ability to pack and stack into a

small ottoman or chair. The design of FractiMod™ is

also “adult-friendly,” appealing as a modest looking

toy that the entire family can enjoy.

FractiMod™ is a collaborative toy design for learning

children, site tested at Port Discovery in Baltimore,

Maryland. The availability of usable educational tools for

kids are challenging in the toy market because of the lack of

interactive engagement and “play” appeal offered. Children

(arguably the most difficult client to design for) necessitate

products that are functional, appealing, safe, fun, durable,

gender versatile, and adaptable as they grow and mature.

As learning and playing have often become separated

16

Module unit possibilities. The graphic shapes also perform as a design teaching tool.

FractiMod Toy Design « Design

x

modes in education, integrated “play AND learn” tactics

must become the new objective for product design for

children. FractiMod™ is the perfect new hybrid toy for

kids to learn their basic fractions, but in a more interactive

manner. The FractiMod™ fraction set comes in great eye

popping colors, cushioned with three inch thick foam

interiors, and washable covers. So kids can play with

their fractions, and learn them too! The versatility of the

games can teach kids as they grow about color, counting,

The Sponge-Angle™ Floor Mop is a re-design concept for

the familiar household cleaning tool, the Swiffer Wetjet.

Getting the extra grime and dirt off the floor has always

been a difficult task for people with physical restraints. The

Sponge-Angle™ Floor Mop is designed with the physically

inhibited in mind. With a molded plastic cover specifically

added for the physical aid of a “helping foot,” getting the

extra grub is now easier and simpler, using the ergonomic

physical aid of the lower body, rather than bending down

and scrubbing with the upper body. The mop, made with

easily detachable parts makes cleaning up messes simple,

easy, and safe for all to participants. Now, no one has an

excuse for not being physical capable to clean up that floor!

Design innovation sees fit that products do not exclude

user groups from doing what needs to get done.

SPONGE-ANGLEFLOOR MOP

™

18 Sponge-Angle Floor Mop « Design

First prototype design and user testing

x

20 Carbon Fiber Rod Tripod Chair « Design

Carbon Fiber rod Tripod Chair

The Carbon Fiber Rod Tripod Chair is a product re-design

that integrates new materials and fabrication techniques.

Using an unconventional material for chair design enables

new possibilities in form details, joints, and the production

process. The objective for this chair was to explore new

opportunities for a lighter-weight chair that required less

material parts and assembly. The use of 1/2 inch thick

carbon fiber tubes is also made with pultrusion fibered

joints, making the chair pin-joint free! The joints, made

during the production process out of fibers and resin,

extend off the tubes and connect to the base ends of the

legs. The chair is activated into a seat when the three

fiber cords are in tension, creating a rigid form that can

withstand the weight of a person sitting. The chair when

inactive folds up into a thin, collapsible form. x

22 Likki Bag « Design

LIKKI BAG

The Likki Bag design is an innovative design solution that allows women carry their Ipad or small laptop computers with new style and elegance. As typical Ipad cases are soft shell, and difficult to take out on the street, Likki Bag is a fashion item that integrates utility and durability for the working woman.

LIKKI BAG

The Likki Bag design is an innovative design solution that allows women carry their Ipad or small laptop computers with new style and elegance. As typical Ipad cases are soft shell, and difficult to take out on the street, Likki Bag is a fashion item that integrates utility and durability for the working woman.

24 Identify Baltimore Thesis « Architecture

As cities today face the growing challenges of globalization,

individual urban spaces seek new design solutions to define

themselves within its city identity as a whole. However, what

exactly is the identity of the city? And how can it be defined?

The “identify baltimore” project seeks the core of how we

define a particular space and how we can coexist within

them without branding.

Cities Gone Flat: A Global ConditionToday, cities across the globe have found themselves in

an urban identity crisis. As we move forward in the 21st

century and as we find our cities with struggling economies,

public infrastructure, social services, or lack thereof, we

must ask ourselves: who are our cities designed for and

how are they defined? As globalization and internationalism

is bringing more competition to global markets, it has

become a contemporary trend to “brand” a city, or to re-

design the city based on its perceptual appearance. Tourism,

telecommunications, and the Information Age have driven

cities to a competitive re-definition of it’s image in context

IDENTIFY BALTIMOREREDEFINING THE SPATIAL IDENTITY SOURCE OF THE CITY

“B MORE”

“BAWLT-MORE”

“BALTIMORE IS BETTER”

$275,000.002001Faith Popcorn

“THE GREATEST CITY IN AMERICA”

Mayor O’Malley

“BELIEVE”

$2,000,000.002002Baltimore City

“CRABTOWN”

2005Baltimore Crabtown Project

“THE CITY THAT READS”

1987Mayor Kurt Schmoke

“THIS IS BIRDLAND”

2009Baltimore Orioles

“NICKEL TOWN”

1866Named after Baltimore City’s financial frugality after the Civil War

“THE CITY OF FIRSTS”

Name because of Baltimore’s leading history of “firsts” in the U.S.

“FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE”

$500,000.002010Visit Baltimore

“CHARM CITY”

$500,000.001975Bill Evans

“QUEEN CITY”

1960John Goodspeed

“BALTIMORE IS BEST”

1976Floraine Applefeld

“MOBTOWN”

1812Coined after riots in city after U.S. declared war with Great Britain

“CATCH THE SPIRIT”

1996Mayor Kurt Schmoke

GET IN ON IT

$500,000.002006Landor Associates

BALTIMORE CITY SLOGANS,BRANDS, COSTS, AND DESIGNER

with the rest of the world. As a result, what we see today

is what we could call an “urban pandemic,” where cities

are becoming a part of one giant popularity contest,

attempting to redefine themselves, rebrand themselves,

develop slogans, to advertise. Cities now capitalize on

their hotel bookings, airport food, and miniature figurines

of buildings and mascots that are more likely to be found

on the streets today than an active public square. Yet,

branding cities make them flat: a 2 dimensional image;

and cities, unlike products, cannot be experienced like

a bottle of Coca-Cola. True, holistic spatial identities

in cities recognize that slogans, logos, and brands are

merely labels that only interact at the surface.

Baltimore City’s Identity Crisis Baltimore is a prime example of a city that has

endlessly struggled for an identity that sticks. As the

city has been subjected to a new identity makeover

what seems to be every two years, names such as

“Crabtown,” “Charm City,” and “B -more” all show

the city’s persistent effort to find a transparent

image that is positive and local to its users. In fact,

Baltimore has paid numerous consultants and

graphic designers to re-brand the city, and not to

mention with a price tag at about a half a million

dollars with each revision. Each unsuccessful

attempt has proven that bumper sticker campaigns

26 Identify Baltimore Thesis « Architecture

are not enough. There must be a new way, a more

dimensional way to defining the city.

A Buried Resource: The Jones Falls RiverAs we try to locate the source of Baltimore’s true

character, we do not need to look any further than what

is hidden, buried beneath of us. The Jones Falls River,

what was once the a glorified resource that served the

entire city--once used for trade, commerce, power, and

technology--today is concealed and hidden from public

view. As the river itself powered the foundations of

Baltimore’s iconic development, the city defined itself

as a center for mills, factories, and the beginnings of

the Industrial Revolution. The river was a service that

represented the city in it’s most natural spatial form.

However, in 1911, a proposal was made to re-divert the

river into an underground culvert system. In attempt

to update the city with health advantages of a sewage

system, the burial of the river was celebrated, and

never questioned, as at the construction ceremony

Henry B. Jacobs proclaimed: “I have come to bury

the Jones Falls River, not to praise it!” In the 1950’s

an expressway was then built over top of the river’s

footprint: further burying the city’s natural resource

and dividing the city east from west.

Integrated Design SolutionsThe Jones Falls River is a viable resource that should

be revealed as an urban centerpiece of the city. Intead,

design should seek integrated urban infrastructure,

solutions that penetrate identity beyond the surface in

a socially and spatially engaging manner. The original

culverts that currently bury the river, shall instead, be

an urban destination. A proposed subway and pedestrian

bridge shall be services put in place of the original

conduits underground, and the Jones Falls River once

again can be resurfaced and announce its presence.

Urban space is restored. The void that was created by

the unnecessary traffic on the expressway now serves

more people, provides better public transportation,

and integrates greener spaces that coexists with the

infrastructure of the city. And lest we not forget that above

all, the city of Baltimore’s identity is finally restored.

People, services, and the original currented path of the

river is given the new right to the city. x

Washington Monument /

Mt. Vernon

Shot Tower

Penn Station

Chase Street

28 YUL-MTL « Architecture

YUL-MTL DESIGN COMPETITIONMontreal, Canada

YUL-MTL is an urban intervention and a design proposal

for the city of Montreal, Canada. The collaborative team,

Drew Suljak, David Lopez, Justin Duvall, Daniel Umchield,

and Kallie Sternburgh, examined the corridor between

Montreal’s airport (YUL) and the city center (MTL), and how

its path could be re-imagined based on different systems of

movement. As current city systems are overly dependant

on the automobile for transportation and on trucks for the

general exchange of goods, ground traffic has become

obscenely congested. As a result, our highways expand

as our failed systems contine to grow, further dividing

our cities with industrial waste edges and uninhabitable

spaces. So let’s get real: Property is valuable. Real Estate

is expensive, and the prices of gasoline are not going to

get any betterin the coming years. So let’s build a city that

restores the natural hierachy of pace, and provide spaces

that allows for uninterupted movement, while encouraging

elevated park-ways and new networks of pedestrian an

ecological paths. A new system must take root, with visible

infrastructure that pedestrians can enjoy as well! x

revolve around how to include such social considerations

– health and wellness conditions, issues of rape and

unwanted pregnancy, food and malnourishment, safety

and security, privacy, work stimulation and job creation

– and how solutions to those problems can somehow

mesh with required architectural considerations such

as energy consumption, passive design strategies and

water collection systems. Is it possible for a transitional

shelter to react to several needs instead of just one? We

hope to build a shelter that can provide some portion of

relief in multiple ways… a shelter that becomes a tool in

the rehabilitation process helping to achieve order and

balance in a way of life that made it through the trial of

disaster.

30 Design Build Transitional Shelter « Architecture

issues on the ground to see what other people and

organizations were proposing as the city had begun

transitioning into a complete rebuilding mode. The trip

allowed us to investigate various shelter construction

projects going on in Haiti today, and to observe fi rst-

hand the transition from emergency tents and tarpaulins,

to temporary housing, into new permanent housing and

communities.

In design, we discovered that the issues are more

complex than simply providing a new shelter option -

seemingly a reactive response without any clear-cut

considerations for the culture or the needs of the social

condition. Our principal design discussion continues to

In the Spring of 2011 at the Maryland Institute College

of Art (MICA), The Environmental Design Department’s

Design/Build class began investigating methodologies

used in disaster relief with the goal of designing and

building a prototype for a better transitional shelter. Our

project divided into two semesters – the Spring engaged

research and design while the Fall will focus on the

details and construction of a prototype.

Our class received grant money to support travel costs

for further investigations in post-disaster Haiti – some

14 months after an earthquake took the lives of an

estimated 230,000 people. Five of us traveled over our

Spring Break to Port-au-Prince where we investigated

MICA ENV DESIGN / BUILD STUDIOResearch

IMMEDIATE STAGE (1-2 DAYS)This stage provides immediate housing for displaced peoples, an offer of quick relief. A family of five receives a full

package of materials for the first and second stages of building. A frame of steel C-studs, and an elevated second

tier of plywood floor and OSB walls with a corrugated metal roof are erected for an open-planned private shelter.

Community center is built simultaneously with the shelters. People have 224 feet² with a foot print of 160 feet².

TRANSITIONAL STAGE (1-2 WEEKS)The family earns additional personal space, occupying the second level as they build their first level gabion walls.

Filling the one hundred thirty five provided 18” x 24” x 9” metal cages with rubble from the disaster, the family

erects gabion walls around the ground level of their shelter within a week of start-up. The gabion design gives the

opportunity for privacy but also for a drain that retains rainwater that feeds into the

PERMANENT STAGE (ONGOING)Gabion walls act as a system of vertical gardens that tie communities together visually and productively. Gabion

surfaces are potentially plastered over for a more durable structure. Additional walls are planned and built by

communities as a flexible lining to create public/private outdoor space. Pathways between communities become a

thriving marketplace in the growing village.

12 “

1 inch = 2 feet

Exterior Skin Detail Plan

2 “

1”4”

Front Elevation Side Elevation

GABEDESIGN STRATEGIES:TRANSITIONAL SHELTER WITH GABION UNIT

SCALE1/2 INCH: 1 FOOT

0 ft 1 ft 2 ft 4 ft

12 ft

14 ft

18 ft

10 ft

15’ - 4”

Plan with Secondary Skin

A

10 ft

16 ft

A

B

B Second FloorFirst Floor

Section B-BSection A-A

9 “

3 “ gap

24”

18“

Gabion Unit Dimension Detail

The Second Skin Detail

Steel Wall Stud

OSB Shelter Skin

Steel Stud Extension

Exterior, Second Skin1 x 6 inch wood slats

GABE is immediate relief with potential for being a

permanent shelter. GABE is an easily constructed

“skin and bones” structure, with a load bearing

steel frame and a combination of wood and gabion

“skins”. Gabion construction converts endless piles

of hazardous rubble into an invaluable resource

in relief and rebuilding efforts. Easily assembled

and raised, gabion construction provides ongoing

postdisaster work stimulation for uprooted families.

AN AVERAGE HAITIAN

USES

15 LITERSOF WATER/DAY

1 LITEROF WATER / ENTRANCE

=

15 LITERS1 DAY OF USEFOR 3 PEOPLE ENTERING 5 TIMES

=12 “

10 “

8 “

12 “

10 “

8 ‘

WASHING HANDS AND

FEET

1 HAITIAN

= 240 LITERS TOTAL16 DAYS WORTHFOR 3 PEOPLE ENTERING 5 TIMES

The goal became to localize as much of the productive

capacity of the shelter as we could – keeping in

mind safety and welfare, but allowing for the shelter

itself to become a part of the culture in transition,

and eventually a permanent fixture in the local

community.

We began to simplify the concept relating it to

the human body… Structurally, human beings are

similar in their make-up. Where we differ is in

the maintenance of the bodies we are given – the

languages we learn, the foods we eat, the clothes

we wear. The metaphor we became attached to was

that we would develop a solid core of bones, but the

outward appearance could change.

So, in design our principal concern became the

development of a sound structural framework that

could accept different skins.

We designed a shelter that using a 2” lightweight

galvanized frame. This frame is pre-engineered,

and with some structural sheathing will withstand

aftershocks and intense winds. The metal frame is

set up on a series of pallets that make up the floor.

The pallets can be used in shipping the components

of the shelter and aid items, books, or clothing.

The sheathing goes on the interior of the frame,

simplifying the wall construction. The exterior of the

frame supports a welded wire mesh that could be

used for weaving any of various skins that could be

culturally significant, or could be recycled debris from

the disaster. The double wall here naturally forms a

ventilated air cavity to reduce the heat impacts of the

sun that also acts as a rain screen.

A gill system on the interior – essentially hinged

panels – allows for controlled interior conditions

and passive air movement. And a plywood sheathing

substrate to a corrugated metal roof offset with

rubber spacers will help insulate the sound of rain

hitting the roof during bad weather. A simple ridge

vent atop the roof helps ventilate the warm, stale air

from the interior. Several other hinged components

form fold-away table surfaces and shelving.

32 Design Build Transitional Shelter « Architecture

MICA ENV DESIGN / BUILD STUDIODesign

Our experience in Haiti made us realize that a pre-

packaged shelter, constructed in 12 hours, supplies

much needed shelter in quick fashion. But it does little to

support the local economy, or the needs of the displaced

citizens who consistently find themselves looking for

something to do.

What we like about our system is that it could still be

quickly constructed – a roof could be set up overhead

in merely two days time if the system was prototyped.

But with the need to skin the building given back to the

local circumstance, there is a possibility for a burgeoning

economy to help with the period of

34 Design Build Transitional Shelter « Architecture

MICA ENV DESIGN / BUILD STUDIOBuild

transition. A series of occupations could be developed

that collect and prepare materials. And a series of jobs

could be established for skilled “weavers” that use the

materials to fashion building skins. What typically takes

2 days to construct now takes two weeks to complete,

providing stimulus to the local economy, resourcing local

materials.

That is why the community design concepts are ultimately

as important as the design of the shelter itself – the

ability to realize cultures in transition, how they change,

and how they adapt is critical to providing a solution for

transitional shelter that can evolve with the circumstance.

We could have proposed solar panels, but transitional

shelters typically have little need for power. A simple

battery station for cell phones can be

provided. We could easily add a water collection system

and filtration tank, but aid organizations usually are

quick to establish access to clean water tanks that can be

serviced by water delivery trucks. A small tank for hand

and feet washing would do the trick. We used the lessons

we learned from post-disaster conditions in Haiti – design

within reach with recognition of the services already

provided. This makes for a much simpler, and more

durable finished product.

A price point has to be met in order to make the

shelter competitive with the current model. Adding

intensive technologies or systems that can be

provided by other organizations inflates much of the

material cost. Initial estimates for our prototype are

coming in at about $2700 (US) dollars for materials.

Should the prototype be mass-produced, our price

point could be lowered to a more competitive $2000

(US) dollar range.

Our group is in the process of constructing the

prototype, which we hope to complete in the next

few weeks. Since we began our research, new

disasters have taken place. By mid-year 2011, some

355 disasters of various scales had occurred over

the globe, and it is anticipated that this will be the

costliest year of record to deal with the aftermath.

Japan had an earthquake and tsunami in March; New

Zealand had two significant earthquakes this year;

landslides and flashfloods in Brazil; and the United

States has had several severe storms and floodwater

events that will cost the government billions of

dollars in recovery funding.

What can a shelter do, beyond the simplicity of

providing a roof, to help people recover… to help

a region rebuild? We think this design is a start to

constructing a larger dialogue about this issue.

It does not intend to be the ideal design for the

universal condition – it simply provides a framework

for transitional growth. x

36 Penn Daw « Architecture

professional work

Penn Daw Housing Mixed-UseAlexandria, VA

Penn Daw is a 395-unit housing and mixed-use project

proposal for a site located in the outer skirts of Alexandria,

Virginia. The building’s unique massing was driven by the

simple planning principles to:

1. Establish a place that defines the area as a viable

destination 2. To connect through alternating methods of

transportation 3. To consolodate and make use of more

efficient, programmed spaces 4. By mixing program and

providing spatial variety 5. To fit to the existing context

where necessary.

As the building adapts to the scale of adjacent buildings and

townhomes, the clarity of space makes for a dense, yet, not

overwhelming architectural addition to the area. Given the

nature of such a center-less site, the new building proposal

challenges the defit notion of the area by defining a place

for residents and retailers alike. The idea of “returning the

space back to its users” invites a variety of functions, and

also provides a pocket plaza that will engage pedestrian-

scale activities in the center of the project.

x

38 Metro West Vienna « Architecture

Metro West ViennaHousing Mixed-UseVienna, VA

professional work

Metro West is a new residential, retail, and hotel

development proposal that will immediately create

a sense of place and offer a much needed urban

amenity that is missing in this NOVA market. The

basic planning principles established with the massing

of the building integrates a hardscaped plaza for the

public: allowing for pedestrian traffic, a civic center, as

well as a service oriented retail face with a welcoming

presence to the future development of Vienna, VA. Three

residential bars define a dramatic interior court, and

a pedestrian bridge is proposed to further engage the

public and residential spaces. The unique character of

the residential court in combination with the pedestrian

plaza will generate a unique urban space that will foster

a multitude of activities. x

professional work

40 MICA Commons II « Architecture

MICA Commons IIHousing Mixed-UseBaltimore, MD

professional work

The MICA Commons II building is the newest dormatory

for freshmen students at the Maryland Institute College

of Art. With 63 units and a total of 242 beds, the new

building is a welcome addition to the Bolton Hill

campus that will accomodate for the influx of talent

that comes to study each year. Being a ground floor

concrete podium building and 3 stories of stick above,

the rapid constructability of the project was imperitive

for the promise of beds for the incoming class next Fall

2013. Other programmed spaces include 2 studio work

spaces, a lecture hall, and a black box theater space

that can open up and spills onto a southern facing

courtyard and garden. The spaces provided in which art

students work and live offers a balance between privacy

and common, collaborative spaces. x

professional work

42 Innovative Units « Architecture

Innovative UnitsHousing Mixed-Use

Using Revit as a design tool for all phases of design,

the housing-mixed use studio at Hord Coplan Macht

Architects, initiated a system of standard housing

units that could be integrated during the early phases

of schematic design: with foresight into unit variety,

fair housing, and efficient unit count and planning.

Interior visualizations showed an even greater depth

of architectural vision with respect to ambient lighting,

1BR/1 BA-DENOPTION 1

STUDIOOPTION 1

2BR/2 BA OPTION 1

1BR/1 BA OPTION 1

fixture selections, and surface finishes that contributed

to the overall feel of the project. Each unit also had an

alternate modern interior design to attract a variety of

tenants that chose to live in the space. x

professional work

44 Select Drawings + Paintings « Art

SELECT DRAWINGS + PAINTINGS

Jyväskylä University AudtoriumJyväskylä, Finland

Kiasma Art MuseumHelsinki, Finland

Paimio Sanatorium,Paimio, Finland

St. Petri Church, Klippan, Sweden

Säynätsalo Town Hall,Jyväskylä, Finland